Internal combustion engine



Sept. 15, 1931. J. J. M CARTHY 1,323,500

' INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 15, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet J.

" Sept. 15, 1931. r r, .LLJ. MCCARTHY 1,823,500

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Sept. 15, 19 J. J. M CARTHY INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed June 13, 1930 4 Sheets- Shqe W H W 1% a Sheets-Sheet 4 une 15:

J. J. M CARTHY INTERNAL COMBUSTIdN ENGINE Filed J Sept. 15, 1931.

Patented Sept. 15. 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN J'. MCCARTHY, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE vApplication filed June 13,

My present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and is an improvement on the engine illustrated, described and claimed in my prior and co-pending application, Ser. N 0. 407,631, filed November 16, 1929. Q

My present invention possesses many of the features and advantages of the engine of said prior application, but includes many novel and improved features.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a novel supercharger,

. which comprises a. reciprocating double actmg piston, providing double capacity of the supercharger. The strokes, both-suction and compression of the supercharger may be controlled in any desired manner, preferably being directly operated from the main crankshaft of the engine. I

Another feature of my invention resides in the fact that on the suction stroke of the supercharger piston, a charge of air and 7 fuel will be, admitted from the carburetor or other m xing device or chamber. At the sameti-me the manifold openings to the cylinders to which the said charge will be ultimately delivered are closed. This is an important feature, as it prevents and possible likelihood of backfiring. In other words, once the charge of air and fuel has entered the supercharger chamber, said charge can not escape at any point until it is forced through the exhaust port of the firing chain ber of the working cylinder or cylinders.

Another important object of the present invention resides in providing each cylinder with two separate combustion chambers. In my present engine I utilize a cylinder in which are arranged two cylindrically mounted pistons, these pistons being directly connected to the same crankshaft and being arranged to move or reciprocate in opposite directions with respect to each other.

One of the combustion or explosion chambers is located between the head of one piston and the inside of the head of the other piston, and the other chamber being located between the head of the uppermost piston and the cylinder head.

The explosion in the second chamber will 1930. Serial No. 460,873.

produce two power impulses per cylinder for one revolution of the crankshaft, or in other words, a two cylinder engine constructed according to my invention will produce eight power impulses in every two turns of the crankshaft, this being the same number of impulses produced by an eight cylinder, four cycle motor in every two turns of the crankshaft.

My novel engine may be constructed and used for any purpose, as a line motor, radial motor, rotary motor, V-type motor, or any desired engine shape or construction wherein asteady torque is obtained. If desired, I may utilize in the present engine the scavenging means on the pistons for removing spent gases from the combustion chambers as described in my said prior and co-pending application.

Other objects and features of the invention reside in the particular construction and arrangement of various parts of my engine.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, combinations of parts, details, and advantages, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, described, and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferredembodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a multi-eylinder engine constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View on the the lower ends of cylinder blockcastings 12,

each block 12 having formed therein one cyl inder, and the castings 12 being secured to'the one of the throws, as

inder block 12.

' piston rings upper end a tatably top surface ofthe crank case 10 by bolts 13. In. the crank case 10'are arranged a pluralit of main bearings 14, in alinement with eac other, and in these main bearings bly mounted a multi-throw crankshaft 15, there being two throws of the crankshaft for each cylinder.

Secured to the under-face of the crank case 10 by bolts 16 is an oil pan 17 Surrounding each cylinder casing 12 is the customary water jacket 18, and this waterjacket connects in the usual manner with a water conduit 19 which is connected, when the engine is used in an automobile, with the radiator by the usual radiator hose or in any desired or suitable manner. 'It will be noted that each cylinder block 12 has a cylinder 20 formed therein.

On the crankshaft are a plurality of cranks or throws, there being two such cranks or throws for each of the cylinders 20, and the crank 22 has twice the'throw that has the crank 21. Slidably mounted in each cylinder is a sleeve iston 23 provided adjacent to its upper en with the usual piston rings 24 and it will be noted by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that the top of the piston 23 is formed with a defiecting'plate or b'aflie 25. Also formed adjacent to the baflle 25 is'a port 26 adapted to be brought into registry with the points of a sparkplug 27 that is screwed through the wall of the cyl- Also formed in the wall of the sleeve piston 23 is an inlet port 28 that is adapted to be brought into registry with the inlet port 29 formed in the wall of the cylinder block 12. I

Secured to the lower open end of the sleeve piston 23 is a member 30 in which is mounted a wrist pin 31-and on which wrist pin is romounted the upper end of a connecting rod 32. The lower end of the connect- 1 ing rod 32 is rotatably mounted on the crank 21. Slidably' mounted within the sleeve piston 23 is a piston 33 with the customary 34.. This piston 33 has on its deflecting plate or baflle 35 similar in shape and size to the baflie 25 formed at the top of the sleeve piston 23.

Secured in hearings in the piston 33 is a wrist pin'36 and on this wrist pin is pivotally mounted the upper end of a connecting rod This connecting rod 37 is pivotally mounted on the crank 21. The throw of the crank 22 is twice the throw of the crank 21 and, therefore, the surface speed of the sleeve piston 23 will be twice that of the piston 33.

Approximately opposite the inlet port'29 in the wall of the cylinder block 12 is formed an exhaust port 38 and this exhaust port communicates with the exhaust manifold 39 by a.

pipe/40. Formed in the wall of the sleeve piston 23 and approximately opposite the inlet port 28 is an exhaust port 41 which is periodically and intermittently brought into 14 is rotata registry with the exhaust port 38 during the reciprocation of the sleeve piston 23; p

Also. formed in the cylinder block 12 is a second inlet port 42, and in said cylinder block substantially opposite the inlet port 42 is a second exhaustjport 43 connecting with the exhaust manifold 39'through a pipe 44. The inlet 42 is adapted to communicate with the interior-of the cylinder 20 at predetermined timed intervals, and the exhaust port 43 likewise communicates with said cylinder 20, a sparkplug 45 being provided in the cylinder head approximately centrally of the top of the cylinder 20.

.The above structural description applies to each cylinder 20 and its associated-mechanism, regardless of whether there are two, four, six, or eight or more cylinders in the engine.

In the drawings of the present application, a two cylinder engine has been shown, but it will be understod and appreciated that is for illustrative purposes only, and that I may utilize any desired number of cylinders in my novel engine. a I

Interposed between each pair of cylinder blocks 12 is a cylinder block 46 fixed to the upper surface of the crank case 10 by bolts 47, the cylinder block 46 having a detachable head 48 secured to the cylinder by bolts 49. A water jacket50 is provided surrounding the upper portion of the cylinder block 46, this jacket 50 being castin the cylinder block 46. Slidable within the cylinder block 46 is a two-way piston 51, this piston 51 (lividing the interior of the cylinder block 46 into two chambers 52 and 53. The piston51 is provided with bearings 54 in which is supported a wrist pin 55 projecting beyond each side of the piston 51.-

Secured to each end of the wrist pin 55 is the upper end of connecting rods 56, these connecting rods 56 being rotatablyconnected at their lower ends to the cranks 57.

Slots 58 are formed in the walls of the cylinderblock 46, to permit reciprocation of the wrist pin 55 vertically in said cylinder block, these slots 58 also serving as guides forthe wrist pin 55.

A'usual carburetor 59, conn cted to a suitable source of fuel supply by tubing 60 is connected to the cylinder block 46 and opens into a port 61 for d in said block. This port 61 communicate. with a. passage 62. which terminates at its ends in ports 63 and 64 leading respectively to the chambers 52 and 53. F1xed to the cylinder block 46 is a manifold 65. sa1d manifold communicating with the chamber 52, and having a port 66 adapted toreceive admixed fuel under pressure from sa1d chamber. The manifold has two branches, 67 and 68, the branch 67 leading to It will be understood, of course, that if more than two 'operating cylinders are utilized, a single cylinder block 46 may be utilized to deliver f-uel under pressure to any desired number of cylinders, it being merely necessary to modify the branches 67 and 68 to accommodate more than two cylinders if desired.

Also fixed to the cylinder block 446 is a manifold 69 having branches 70 and 71. The branch 70 communicates with the inlet port 42 of that cylinder wherein the branch 67 communicates with the inlet port 29, and the branch 71 communicates with the inlet port 29 of the other cylinder whose. inlet port 42 is fed by the branch 68.

In assembling the wrist pin 55 in the bearings 54 of the piston 51, the cylinder block 46 is provided with apertures 72 to permit the insertion of the wrist pin 55 through the piston 51, said cylinder block 46- also being provided with apertures 73 to permit the driving of the pins 74 which unite the connecting rods 56 with said wrist pin.

The manifold 69 has a port 75 adapted to receive admixed fuel under pressure from the chamber 53 during thedownward stroke of the piston 51.

The operation of my novel engine is very simple, and will be readily understood by those skilled in this art, being briefly. described as follows: I

If we assume that the engine is a two cylinder engine, constructed as above described and as illustrated in the drawings, and that it is desired to have the same operated, such operation will be as follows:

The carburetor 59 will have the conduit or tube 60 extending thereto from a suitable source of fuel supply, and the 'sparkplugs 27 and 45 will, of course, 'be connected to a source of energy and to a timing mechanism for igniting the charges in the various cylinders and chambers of the various cylinders at the proper instants; The operator will by means of the usual crank, or self-starter, turn the crankshaft 15 through one or more complete revolutions so as to draw into the manifold '62 an explosive mixture. With the various parts of the engine in the position illustrated in the drawings, that is, with the piston 51in an upward position, such mixture will be drawn into the chamber 53 through the port 64. On continued rotation of the crank shaft 15 the piston 51 will be impelled downwardly, forcing the explosive mixture introduced into the chamber 53 through the port and into the manifold 69. The port 42, however, being closed by the sleeve piston 61, the charge of fuel will be forced inwardly through the port 29 in the block 12 and port 28 in the sleeve piston 23 into the chamber 76 formed between the head of the piston 33 and the inside of the head of the piston 23.

in the position illustrated in Thereupon, on continued'operation of the crankshaft, the piston 23 will be forced downwardly, bringing the port 26 into regis; try with the points of the sparkplug 27, at Which instant the pistons 23 and 33 will be the left-hand cylinder of Fig. 3.

Thereupon, the explosion of the compressed mixture in the chamber 76 will occur, driving the piston 33 downwardly and the piston 23 upwardly.

Meanwhile, the piston 51 will have drawn a charge of fuel through the port 63 into the chamber 52, forcing said fuel under pressure downwardly from the chamber 52 through the port 66 and into the manifold 65. This last mentioned charge of fuel will be forced through the port 42 into the cylinder 20 above the piston 23 just before said piston commences its upward stroke. This charge will thereupon be compressed in the cylinder 20 by the piston 23 during its upward stroke, and when said piston has reached the upward limit of its stroke, the sparkplug 45 will function, exploding the compressed mixture in the cylinder 20 and delivering an added power stroke to the piston 23. As the piston 23 then again reaches the bottom limit of its stroke, the new charge of fuel forced through the port 42 will strike,

against the vertical side of the bafile 25,'flow ing upwardly and forcing the exhaust gases remaining in the cylinder '20 downwardly through the exhaust port 43 and thence into the exhaust manifold 39.

Meanwhile, as the piston 23 has reached the upward limit of its stroke, the port 28 is again brought into registry with the port 29, thus permitting another charge of fuel to be forced under pressure into the chamber 76, this new charge of fuel striking against the vertical face of the baffle plate 35 and forcing the exhaust gases in said chamber 76 downwardly through the exhaust ports 41 and 38 into the exhaust manifold 39. Thus both the cylinder 20 and chamber 7 6 will be completely scavenged of exhaust gases at each stroke.

This cycle of operations will be repeated and take place indefinitely until the engine is deprived of explosive fuel, or.until the ignition is switched off and current is cut off from the sparkplugs 27 and 45. It will thus beappreciated that there is no possible chance of backfiring, as once the in every two turns of the crankshaft eight power impulses will have been imparted to the crankshaft, this beingthe identical number of power impulses delivered by an eight cylinder, four cycle motor in every two turns of the crankshaft.

' If desired,'I may utilize other means/than the connecting rods 56 toactuate the supercharger piston 51. .I may utilize the-cam operated mechanism, or'any suitable or desirable mechanism or devices which will impart positive actuation to the piston 51. o

The advantages, safety factors, simplicity, economy of construction and operation, and efficiency, will be instantly understood and appreciated by those skilled in this art.

I believe that the engine illustrated and described in the drawings of this application isnovel, and/have therefore claimed the same broadly in the present application.

While I have illustrated the throw of the crank 22 as beingsubstantially twice that of the crank 21,it will be appreciated that this is for illustrative purposes, and that I may vary the degree of throws of these cranks within any desired range. Thus, each crank may have the, same throw, be varied asdesired. 1

My invention isfurther described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

- 1. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of working cylinders, a pair of pistons axially arranged with respect to each other in each of said cylinders, one of said' pistons being slidably mounted in the other piston, a combustion chamber in each cylinder formed by said cylinder and the head of said externa piston, ,a second combustion chamber formed by each of said external pistons and the heads of each of said pistons, a cylinder associated with said pair of working cylinders, a double ended piston reciprocable in said second cylinder and dividingthe same into two chambers, means to admit a charge of combustible mixture alternately to the chambersxin said secondcylinder, and a manifold fixed to said second "cylinder and adapted to convey a charge of combustible mixture under pressure from one of the chambers in said second cylinder simultaneously to the first combustion chamber in one cylinder and the second in each being slidably Eombustion chamber in the opposite cyliner.

2 Inan internal combustion engine, a pair of working cyinders, a pair of pistons axially arranged'with respect to each other of said cylinders, one of said pistons combustion chamber in each cylinderformed by said cylinder and the head of said external piston,a second combustion chamber formed by each of said external pistons and the heads of eachofsaid pistons, a cylinder associated with said pair of working ended piston reciprocable-in said second cylor the .same may two chamber-s, means inder simultaneously mounted in the other piston, a

cylinders a double and adapted to convey a charge of combustible mixture under pressure from the other of said chambers in said second cylinder simultaneously to the second combustion chamber in the first mentioned working cylinder and to the first combustion chamber in the opposite working cylinder when the axially arranged pistons in said working cylinders are at the opposite ends of their strokes.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of Working cylinders, a pair of pistons axially arranged with respect to each other in each of said cylinders, one of said pistons being slidably mounted in the other piston, a combustionchamber in each cylinder formed by said cylinder and the head of saidexternal piston, a second combustion chamber formed by veach of said externaL pistons and the heads of each of said pistons, a cylinder associated with said pair of working cylinders,

adouble ended piston reciprocable in said second cylinder and dividing the same into 1 to admit a charge of combustible mixture alternately to the chambers in said second cylinder, a manifold fixed vey a charge of combustible mixture under pressure from one of the chambers in said second cylinder simultaneously to the first combustion chamber in one cylinder and the second combustion chamber in the opposite cylinder, a second manifold fixed to said second cylinder and adapted to convey a charge of combustible mixture under pressure from the other of said chambers in said second cylto the second combustion chamber in the first mentioned working cylinder and to the first combustion chamber inthe opposite working cylinder when the ax- 1 to said second cylinder and adapted to con- I ially arranged pistons in said working cylin ders are at the opposite means to ignite the charge of combustible mixture in the second chamber ofceach of the working cylinders to impart power'impulse. to each of the pistons, andmeans' in each of said wprking cylinders to ignite the charge of combustible mixture inthe first combustion chamber to impart a power impulse to the external piston only.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN J. MCCARTHY.

ends of their strokes, 

